Kathleen Troia “KT” McFarland, a national security expert and commentator, opened up day two of the Western Conservative Summit, in Denver Colorado. McFarland held national security posts in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan Administrations, a regular contributor to Fox News, and received the Defense Department’s highest civilian award. Her expertise and decidedly conservative world views was a welcome opening for Saturday’s line up of speakers. With the slew of recent foreign policy issues that have been circulating in the news, KT had little trouble finding topics to discuss in her opening remarks.

McFarland began her remarks by asking the room whether they thought America was on the decline, or on the verge of a new renaissance. “Many of the other major world players are about to have significant, fundamental, problems,” she explained. McFarland also explained how she believes America has the opportunity to not only stay strong, but grow over coming years.

China was one of the primary examples she gave for her optimistic outlook regarding America’s position in the world. “They have had major economic growth,” she conceded. But that growth, she insisted, is coming at a high price. First and foremost, China’s pollution problem is a growing concern in not only China, but surrounding areas. Secondly, McFarland insists, there is a ticking demographic time bomb. While China’s one child policy gains little traction in discussions regarding foreign policy, McFarland highlighted the deteriorating female population in China. By some accounts, said McFarland, in years to come China will see 50 million less women due to China’s one child policy, and their cultural preference for sons.

After discussing the perpetual war between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East, McFarland turned her attention to what is benefiting America. “We elect our leaders,” she pointed out while discussing the inherent values in America’s transitional government. “In fact, part of the Arab awakening is because they didn’t have a system” for changing government, McFarland pointed out.

Most unique in world history, according to McFarland, is America’s Civilian control of the Military. “When, or where, in world history has there been a military as powerful as ours that has not tried to run things?”

In addition to our democratic republic’s transitional government, civilian military, and natural borders, McFarland mentioned demographics and social progress. “Women in the workforce adds anywhere from 15 to 20 percent to GDP.”

But most beneficial to America’s future, according to the National Security expert, is our natural resources. The potential for American oil and natural gas is the “golden opportunity of this generation,” according to McFarland. “We have at least 100 years of oil, and maybe even more natural gas” under America. Such exploitation of our natural resources would create jobs; but most importantly, McFarland says, “cheaper energy would repatriate American manufacturing.”

Additionally, such access to natural resources would greatly reduce America’s military involvement across the globe. “Since WWI, most wars have been fought, at least in part, over industrialized nation’s need for more energy,” she said.

For all those reasons, we have “a golden opportunity,” she promised the crowd. McFarland then pivoted her remarks to what America still needs in order to seize this “opportunity.”

“This [resurgence of America] will only happen if Americans decide that we are willing to take our destiny into our own hands.” McFarland spoke about the need for a youth resurgence within the conservative movement. “This conference is so great, because you’re looking at the next generation of leaders,” she observed while discussing the need for more youth involvement.

Closing her time on stage, McFarland noted, “This is going to be a great time [for America], but it is up to you.”

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